In the dangerous era of fake news and misinformation, we think it’s crucial that you understand the difference between getting your news from social media and shadowy websites as opposed to professional journalists.
And we’re glad to see that three Western senators — Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Mark Kelly, D-Ariz. — think so, too.
They’ve just introduced the Local Journalism Sustainability Act, intended to help financially struggling local news organizations stay in business and keep serving their communities. It’s built around tax incentives promoting local advertising, subscriptions and the hiring of more journalists.
The legislation comes on the heels of a similar plan that Reps. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., and Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz., introduced in the House last month.
As she helped roll out the Senate version of the plan in Washington, D.C., last week, Cantwell emphasized the critical role local journalism plays across the country.
“The strength of our democracy is based in truth and transparency, and local newsrooms are on the ground in our communities asking the critical questions, countering misinformation and telling our stories,” she said.
Cantwell also cited the rampant false information phony journalists have spread during the COVID-19 epidemic as one recent example of why it’s important for the public to have access to reliable information.
We couldn’t agree more.
The proliferation of online sites pretending to be sources of news has come at a devastating juncture for local newspapers. Since 2004, more than 1,800 communities across the U.S. have lost their local papers altogether — and in the past two decades, newspaper revenue has declined 70%, resulting in the loss of 40,000 journalism jobs. That’s about 60% of the workforce.
To be fair, part of that is our own fault. Many papers have been slow to embrace new forms of information delivery and audience engagement, and we’ve sometimes misjudged reader interest in the types of news we think are important for you to know.
At the same time, newspaper revenue has been undercut by the ruthless business practices of big tech companies like Google, which can promote the digital presence of some media while restricting or downplaying others.
You don’t have to look too far to see what that’s done to help keep the public informed.
We certainly don’t pretend to be perfect. But we continue to believe that the best way we as a company or as individuals can serve our community is by bringing you the most accurate, complete and fair news we’re capable of finding.
We live here, too. And unlike freelance bloggers aggregating information from some faraway place, we have direct access and a firsthand view of the stories we’re writing. Those stories directly affect each of us and our families as much as they affect you.
Here at the Yakima Herald-Republic, we’ve invested in a number of initiatives to make sure you’re getting the information you need — and are interested in — and delivering it in the most convenient and accessible ways possible.
The Local Journalism Sustainability Act sounds like a great tool to help us continue our mission.
No, we might not be perfect, but you can bet we’re not giving up, either.
Because as we’ve seen so dramatically in recent years, if everybody has their own truth, we’re all living a lie.
"Opinion" - Google News
July 27, 2021 at 03:00PM
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Opinion: New legislation is good news for journalism and the community - Yakima Herald-Republic
"Opinion" - Google News
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